Getting Comfortable with the Uncomfortable
My first BJJ professor would always yell at me to not be greedy while rolling by reaching for submission attempts without first finishing the original order of moves/techniques as he had instructed me. I would always go for the submission as soon as I saw an opportunity. Most of the time I realized that the Continue Reading
All my BJJ students know that I don’t start rolling until my Pandora “Pete Rock Radio Station” is properly streaming. They say music soothes the savage beast. I say music can bring the beast out of a person as well. This past weekend I was at the New York International Open Championships and as Continue Reading
I first came across the crucifix position from my old rolling partner David L. (Team Passos JJ). David L. taught me to hate this position…well, I didn’t hate the position, I just hated being in the crucifix position that he placed me in each time I repeated the same stupid mistakes. I never learned how Continue Reading
YUP! They’re Finally Here!!
When I first started BJJ one of my favorite sparring partners, Rob (Stonewall BJJ), told me that I needed to setup a game plan for BJJ, like in chess. However, at the time I didn’t know enough Jiu Jitsu to understand what I could and couldn’t do yet, to which he would respond “precisely.” Still Continue Reading
One of my BJJ students asked me, “what do you do for pain in the shoulders, hands and toes?” I told him, “I usually just shut up about it but if it’s unbearable, then I’ll tape up the toes and finger or maybe take an ibuprofen before bed and up my water intake” He laughed Continue Reading
In Honor of International Women’s Day & Women’s History Month
I went to work the other day with a cut under my eye that I received while sparring with some over-enthusiastic white-belts at BJJ the night before. I teach middle school and I don’t like to let these kids into too much of my personal life but I have to explain this or nothing will Continue Reading
I found myself “hooked” on BJJ after a couple of classes but it wasn’t after a couple of months checking out all the schools in my area …. until I cut the first check on a contract with a school, did I know that BJJ was really going to be a part of my life…at Continue Reading
In martial arts, specifically the martial arts of Japanese origins, you will hear your instructor and/or fellow martial artists exclaim “OSU!” or “OSS!” (both pronounced, Ōss) at various times during class and training. And if you are like me, you may have a general understanding of what’s being said, but may have heard it at Continue Reading